Improvement in horse-detachers



I UNITEEl STATES A ROBERT S. VAN ZANDT, OF BROOKLYN, E. D., NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR OFv PATENTEEIcE ONEHALF HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE BOYD, OFPLAINFIELD, N. J

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-DETACHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,800, dated January25, 1876;' application filed v i i December 29, 1875.

. To all 'whom it may concern; y f Be it known that I, ROBERT S. VANZANDT,

tionl view of a vehicle or car fitted with my in'- vention, the severalparts comprised in my said invention being shown at one end of the carin the position occupied by them when the whifdetree `is attached to thehook for the usual draft, and, at the other end of the ear, in thevposition occupied by them at the moment of casting off or detaching thewhifdetrees from the said hook.

A indicates the platform or end portions of the car, commonly occupiedby the driver, and which requires no specific description.

B is the draft-hook, provided at each end in the ordinary manner, saiddraft-hook differing in no important respect from that in common use.

C is a lifting-plate, notched or slotted, as shown at a, andsituatedabove the horizontal lower portion b of the hook, with theupright portion c of said hook extending upward through the slot aaforesaid. 'lhe plate G is attached to the upper end of a rod, d, which,preferably, is slotted to straddle the part b of the hook, in order thatthev said part may serve as a guide to retain the plate O in itsrequisite horizontal position.

D is a lever, pivoted at f to the under side of the platform, and havingits outer end pivoted to the lower extremity of the rod d, while itsinner end is pivoted to a vertical stem, e,

which passes up through a suitable hole or guide,-g, in the platform.Upon the upper end of this stem e is a foot-rest, E, and between thisfoot-rest and the platform, in such wise as to tend to press thefoot-rest upward, is a. spring, i. y

lt will be seen that from the relations of the herein-described partsthe upward movement of the foot-rest will bring the plate() downwardupon the lowerpart b of the hook B, and

trees, it is only necessary for the driver tof.

press down the plate O with his foot, Whereupou, as shown at theright-hand end of the drawing, the plate C is lifted, and, lifting thewhiftletree above the top or point of the hook, casts oft' thewhifdetree from said hook, entirely detachin g the same from the car.

Inasmuch as the disengagement of the Whit'- lfletrees from the car iseifected wholly by the power exerted by the drivers foot, it followsthat both hands are left free for the management ot' the horses and forthe working of the car-brake, thereby enabling the driver to moreeit'ectually guard against accident in 'many cases than is now possible,as well as providing a morel expeditious means of detaching thewhiftletrees in changing the horses from one end of the car to the otherthan is afforded by the usual car-hook,77 so termed.

What I claim as my invention is^ The combination of the lifting-plate C,lever D, and foot-rest E, with the hook B of a streetlcar,'substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

" ROBERT' S. VAN ZANDT.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. WHITNEY, H. WELLS, Jr.

